


Best Times

by koolmae



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Slow Burn, Swearing, Texting, This is also my first fic, and shiro and matt are datin, but its not all texting, keith and shiro are brothers, more tags to come probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-08-12 15:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7940290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koolmae/pseuds/koolmae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Local teen gets handcuffed to a tree then gets his bike stolen, what happens next will warm your heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Favor

**mothmans gf** : keith  
**mothmans gf** : keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeith  
**mothmans gf** : o right ur at work my bad  
**mothmans gf** : anyways  
**mothmans gf** : i need a favor, its not as bad as it sounds  
**red mnm** : if its coming from u its probably bad  
**red mnm** : noah fence  
**mothmans gf** : oh!!! did u just get out of work?  
**red mnm** : no i have 30 minutes left of my shift, its just slow  
**red mnm** : what did u need  
**mothmans gf** : u work at that burger kings next to the park with the huge pond right?  
**red mnm** : yea  
**mothmans gf** : this is gonna be a bit text heavy, brace urself

Keith waited patiently as Pidge typed out this ‘favor’. A small sigh escaped his lips as he checked out his surroundings; he had locked himself in one of the few stalls in the men’s washroom at the Burger Kings he (sadly) worked at. It was a pretty cruddy bathroom, fit for a pretty awful establishment along with an even worse job. He was a cashier. Keith was not much of a people-person in the slightest, in fact, he only had two friends, one being his adoptive brother, Shiro. He met his other friend, Pidge, through Shiros boyfriend, Matt. Pidge was Matts’ nerdy little sister, so nerdy that she was classified as a young genius and was able to skip a few grades. Keith is nowhere near as smart as Pidge, but they did bond over a few common things, the biggest being cryptids and conspiracy theories which their siblings teased them over. A small ping! broke Keith from his thoughts as he looked down to his phone again. 

**mothmans gf** : ok so ive told u many times abt my friend lance and how he flirts with anything that’s remotely human right? well APPEARENTLY he met this girl (nina?? nimya?? smth like that) at a party a few nights ago and got her number (even tho his “flirting” never works on ANYONE) and they went on a date at the park today. he texted me a while ago and i shit you not, hes been handcuffed to a tree by his date.  
**red mnm** : what does this have to do with me  
**mothmans gf** : i need u to get him  
**red mnm** : wtf why me???  
**mothmans gf** : 1) ur closer  
**mothmans gf** : 2) im busy  
**mothmans gf** : 3) hunks busy  
**red mnm** : so??? hes YOUR friend  
**mothmans gf** : o shet u broke out the proper ‘your’ and its in capitals  
**red mnm** : that’s not explaining why i have to get him  
**mothmans gf** : read number one  
**red mnm** : im at work still  
**mothmans gf** : so??? u got like 10 minutes left  
**red mnm** : oh shit better get back then  
**red mnm** : ttyl pidge  
**mothmans gf** : PLEASE GET LANCE  
**mothmans gf** : KEITH U BETTER FUCKEN GET LANCE OR ILL TELL SHIRO U WOULDNT HELP A PAL OUT!!!!!  
**mothmans gf** : THAT’S A THREAT AND A PROMISE!!!!!!!!!

Keith put his phone on do not disturb and resumed his shift, sure he was getting threats about saving this Lance boy. Pidge was usually texting him about the great stuff Hunk makes (robotics wise and foods wise), and about how Lance is just… Lance... From what Pidge said, he was a huge flirt, someone who pulls dumb pranks, loud, slightly obnoxious and clingy, but she also mentioned how many times he had saved her ass from getting into fights with professors and students by taking the fall for things, how compassionate he could be and how he would put so much passion into the things he cared about. Keith had always denied any invitation if Lance was involved. He felt like who over Lance was, he was too much of a person to handle, or at least, he could only assume so from what he’s heard. Whatever the case may be, he’d meet him soon enough to find out for himself.


	2. Embarrassment

**star boy!** : PIDGE WHERE THE MCFUCK ARE YOU  
**star boy!** : I HAVE BEEN HANDCUFFED TO THIS TREE  
**star boy!** : FOR 20  
**star boy!** : FUCKING  
**star boy!** : M I N U T E S  
**mothmans gf** : chill  
**star boy!** : WHERE ARE YOU??!??!?!?!?!!  
**mothmans gf** : in my dorm, allura says hello  
**star boy!** : hi allura!  
**star boy!** : GET OVER HERE AND FUCKING UNCUFF ME YOU GOD DAMN GREMLIN  
**mothmans gf** : no worries hes on his way  
**star boy!** : IF U TOLD HUNK ILL CRY,,, I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO HIM,,,,,  
**mothmans gf** : no  
**star boy!** : ….no whwat  
**mothmans gf** : hunks w shay  
**star boy!** : pidge if its shiro,,,  
**mothmans gf** : its keith  
**star boy!** : ,,,  
**star boy!** : emo fuck mcmeanie-pants??  
**star boy!** : the one who NEVER hangs w us?? why would u send him??  
**star boy!** : IS THIS PAY BACK FOR THE PIZZA ROLLS????  
**star boy!** : PIDGE THAT WAS LAST SUMMER,,, PLESE U KNO HE WONT COME SAVE ME  
**mothmans gf** : no he will  
**star boy!** : how are u so sure,,  
**mothmans gf** : i told him id tell his older brother  
**star boy!** : so???!?!  
**star boy!** : wait someones coming

Lance turned as best he could to catch a glimpse of the stranger. The stranger (who he hoped to God was Keith) was wearing a gray t-shirt with a name tag engraved with the name Keith on it.  
“Oh thank God,” Lance exhaled out.  
“…You must be Lance then…”  
“Yeah that’s my name, but you can call me the man of your dreams,” Lance recoiled at what he just said. Keith looked absolutely shocked, he probably mirrored Keiths expression. “Wait, Fuck, Sorry! I-I flirt when I’m nervous, it’s stupid, sorry, I didn’t mean-“  
“I probably should have expected this, Pidge did tell me you… flirt a lot, I guess…”  
Lance stopped mid-ramble. Right. Emo Fuck McMeanie-Pants was in fact friends with Pidge. Pidge sent him here. She probably let him know beforehand about his nervous-flirt adaptation. In the time it took for Lance to collect himself, Keith had walk up to the tree, unclipped the bobby pins that pushed his (long, beautiful, maybe greasy?) fringe back with, and began fiddling with the lock of the handcuffs.  
“I probably don’t want to know why you’re handcuffed to a tree, in a secluded part of the park, alone-“ Lance cut him short. Keith was smirking up at him. Fuck you, Keith.  
“I SWEAR it wasn’t like that! Don’t make this anymore awkward than it needs to be!” Lance felt his face flush, he hated this. He hated Nyma for cuffing him to the tree and stealing his bike, he hated Pidge for telling some stranger to help him, he hated Keith for teasing him about it, he hated himself for letting it happen. Keith wasn’t looking at him with a smirk anymore, instead he was focused on freeing Lance from his huge mistake, eyebrows knit together in a focused glare. Lance looked him over. Keith’s hair had been tied back into a small ponytail and even though Lance had never met him before, he knew it suited him well. The gray shirt he was wearing was accompanied by black pants.  
Keith had caught him staring. How long had he been staring? The handcuffs were in his hands along with the bobby pins.  
“Do you, uh, want these?” He held out the cuffs. Lance scowled.  
“Fuck no, they aren’t even mine!” It came out louder than Lance intended, whatever chance Lance had at befriending Keith had turned from slim into almost none. Keith was a bit startled by Lance’s outburst, his face fell from a neutral expression into an upset one. Lance put his hands up to his face. If I start crying in front of Keith-  
“You’re welcome,” Keith started to walk off. God, Lance felt like such an ass, and his neediness wasn’t over yet. Nyma had stolen his bike, his only way home which was a dorm on a campus far away. Shit, Keith had gotten far, how fast could he be? He’s like 5’3!  
“Wait, Keith!” Lance ran after Keith, hoping, praying, that Keith would take mercy on him one more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is always appreciated!!


	3. Ride

The ride back to their shared campus was silent. Lance didn’t dare to even glance at the radio, he felt like he had asked too much from Keith, he’d feel even more horrible if he turned on something he hated. The feeling wasn’t one sided. Keith pushed a boundary which made Lance’s day worse. He thought a joke would lighten the mood, but nope! Keith messed up and got Lance to snap at him. When Lance said he needed a ride home, Keith thought of it as his second chance, but the second they stuffed themselves into his small car, he froze at the thought of conversing with Lance. Why did he even want to befriend Lance? He spent all this time avoiding him, so why bother now? Was it because he felt like he made Lances day worse? Did he blame himself? Did-  
“KEITH! KEITH!” Lance was yelling.  
“What?! What happened?!” Shit, he was too focused on thinking, did he hit something? SomeONE? Shit, Shit, Shit.  
“You missed the turn!” Oh. “You alright buddy?” Keith pulled an illegal U-Turn and took the right turn.  
“Yeah, I’m good. Great, actually. I should be asking you if you’re alright,” Keith paused. You dummy, you’re going to upset him again! This is why you only have one friend! Lances hand met his shoulder. It was burning. He was burning. Lance laughed. How did he not feel the fire?  
“Yeah, of course! These things happen. I’m more worried about you though, you looked a little… Out of it?” Keith took his eyes of the road for a second to take a look at Lance. His face was covered in freckles, his eyes were a deep blue and his hair looked silky. His expression was soft, it was filled with kindness and concern. That quick glance made him melt, he didn’t deserve it. Luckily for him, the parking garage was just up ahead. He inhaled. Was his car that small? So small he was forced to be close to Lance? So he could smell the ocean radiate off of him? He parked. Everything seemed to fix itself in that moment, the fire was gone and the car was back to its normal size. Lances hand was off of his shoulder and the previous small, kind smile was replaced with a small frown. What had Lance said?  
“Yeah. I’m just an anxious driver?” Keith had always been a good liar, but this time his answer came in the form of a question. He didn’t want that. He wanted to get out of the car. He never wanted to see Lance again. He wanted to forget Lances smile, his deep blue eyes and his oceanic scent. Fuck you, Lance. They both exited the car, Keith had never been happier to be on campus. “Bye.”  
“What?” Keith luckily couldn’t see Lance. In the short time they knew each other, Keith knew that he had a confused expression plastered on his face, maybe mixed with a hint of sadness. Keith continued on.  
“I said bye. I’m going back to my dorm,” He heard the pit-pat of footsteps make their way up to him. He didn’t want to see such a sad expression come from Lance, he wanted to see him smile. Keith thought about how Lance looked in the car, his soft, silky hair was messy, his freckled skin seemed to glow, how his eyes were full of life and that melting smile. He smelled like the ocean, a place Keith had only went to once or twice. Despite that fact, the scent of the ocean was very memorable, especially when it was emanating from Lance.   
“Oh, what building do you live in?” Lance had caught up to him. The expression Keith expected was not present. Instead, it was more curious but the smile he longed to see was nowhere to be found. When the scent of the ocean wafted its way around Keith, the fire had returned as well making it hard to focus.  
“I live in Building D, third floor,” Lance’s eyebrows rose to his hairline and the smile Keith had been waiting to see again was finally present. Their footsteps fell into sync.  
Lance had told Keith that he also lived in Building D, but lived on the fifth floor. Great. Good. Yeah.   
“Oh nice,” Keith had no idea how to keep the conversation going, the fire was consuming him. The ocean smelled so close, he could run to it, but yet-  
“Yeah,”   
There was nothing else to say. The rest of the walk back was silent until they parted ways.   
“Well, see you,”  
“Bye,”  
The second the elevator doors closed, Keith made a mad-dash to his dorm, slamming the door once he entered.   
That night, Keith dreamt of drowning. He felt the warm water consume him and crush his lungs, felt his last breath escape him, but he didn’t die. He kept sinking deeper and deeper until he saw a light. The closer he got the more he realized that it wasn’t just a light, but a boy on fire. They extended their hands towards each other, they touched and then-  
Keith woke with a start, heart beating fast. He thought about the burning boy in his dream and the sickening feeling in his gut meant only one thing.   
He had dreamt of Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgot to update yesterday cuz school has been kicking my ass   
> anyways thanks so much for reading ;w;


	4. Diner

**honk 4 hank** : lance why did u wake up screaming  
**mothmans gf** : why are u asking in the group chat at 7 in the morning  
**mothmans gf** : its too early go back to sleepy time junction  
**honk 4 hank** : i cant go back to sleep because SOMEONE woke me up screaming then fucken naruto-d out of the door  
**mothmans gf** : did he leave his phone  
**honk 4 hank** : ……….  
**honk 4 hank** : …………..  
**honk 4 hank** : ya  
**honk 4 hank** : im gonna go look for him, ttyl! 

Lance rarely ever had dreams. If he did, they were about stars or his family, his friends were probably in his dreams, but they never played a huge part in them. Lance did not dream of either of those things; instead he had a dream about a war he fought with his friends, he watched them separate into groups and split off into different directions. He and Keith ran through a seemingly empty corridor until they were surrounded by hundreds of alien soldiers. The pair fought back to back until something had grabbed Keith and pulled him into the sea of soldiers. Lance turned to rescue him but quickly felt a sharp pain surge through his back. The last thing Lance saw before he woke up was Keith trying to reach out to him; then Lance woke up screaming and ran out of the room. He was now sitting in the common room of his dorm building, looking out the window.  
“There you are!”  
Lance turned to see Hunk come at him with open arms, swiftly scooping him into a hug.  
“Are you alright, dude? You woke up screaming, so probably not. Let me rephrase that, are you feeling better?” Hunk looked worried and a worried Hunk is not a good Hunk.  
“Yeah, it was just a weird dream you know? I think I died in it?” The dream was escaping Lance as quickly as it came, sure it wasn’t very pleasant, but there had to have been a reason behind it which made him want to remember it.  
“Well you aren’t dead yet so let’s get Pidge and go get some breakfast,” Hunk gave Lance a few pats on the back then let him go. Hunk smirked back at him, was he planning something? ”You’re paying since you woke me up by the way.” Ah, there it was.  


**star boy!** : pidge my lovely child  
**star boy!** : arise  
**mothmans gf** : im awake dumpy  
**honk 4 hank** : rekt  
**star boy!** : u 2 shld be nicer to me im buyin brekky  
**mothmans gf** : noah fence but it physically hurt to read that  
**star boy!** : hunk tell pidgey poo to stop bein mean  
**honk 4 hank** : well be there to pick u up in about 10-15 minutes, is that okay?  
**mothmans gf** : heck yeah  
**mothmans gf** : and dont call me pidgey poo ever again  


The trio swiftly arrived at the nearest diner and took up a small booth in the back. Lance sat next to Hunk and Pidge sat across from them, laptop out and furiously typing away.  
“Are you gonna look at the menu or just blog the whole time? Did you forget I was paying?” Lance didn’t really look forward to paying, he was a college student after all, so money was a precious thing. However, Lance loved his friends to death, even if they tease him. Hunk and Pidge were like family to him so paying a bill wouldn’t be that hard if it meant they still loved him after all the shit he puts them through.  
“Yeah yeah, I’ll look. I have an essay due in two hours that I put off because I’m stupid and-“  
“Oh my God. Pidge. First, you’re practically a child genius so don’t call yourself stupid. Second, get wrecked dumpy,” Lance and Hunk fought back their smiles as Pidges eyes slowly made their way from her computer to their faces. It was moments like these Lance loved so much. He loved joking with his friends, he loved seeing Hunk trying to pretend that his best friend didn’t just pull the sickest joke ever and he loved seeing Pidge pretend to be annoyed with his never ending antics. For a split second, Lance thought of Keith. Maybe someday he could join them for breakfast. Maybe Lance could pull a sick joke on him. Yeah, that sounds nice.  
After a while, a very attractive waitress took their order, but not after being flirted with by Lance. As per usual, he was turned down. Pidge returned to typing, this time with a red tinted face.  
“Aw, Pidge,” Hunk started. “Did you think our waitress was pretty?” It was soft, just enough for just the three of them to hear.  
“What? No. Shut up. I’m like seven. Shut up, Hunk,” Lance and Hunk laughed. Pidge hunched over her computer as to hide her face.  
No one asked about Lances “date” with Nyma. No one mentioned it, not even made a joke about it. He was thankful for it. Lance didn’t want to think about it, not one bit of it. Not even the part when Keith saved him from his foliage prison. Nope, not even the part when Keith drove them back to their campus, or even when they walked together. Lance didn’t want to remember the scent of a campfire that lingered around Keith, or how his purple-blue eyes occasionally met his. Nope. Lance didn’t want anything to do with Keith, no breakfast, no jokes, no hand holding. Nope. Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! sorry for the spotty updates,, school sucks lmao  
> also im going back thru the chapters to make things easier to read but my fingers hurt so i stopped at chapter two  
> anyways i didnt think so many people would read this,,, like wow!!!!  
> so thank u!!! also theres that one weird part that i cant separate,, ill try and fix that too when im actually awake lmao


	5. Ask

**red mnm** : yo shiro  
**shito** : yo, baby brother  
**red mnm** : nvm should have thought abt how this conversation would go beforehand  
**shito** : of course you should have  
**shito** : what did you need?  
**red mnm** : nothing  
**shito** : keith if you need something to eat, youre always welcome to ask me  
**red mnm** : yeah i know  
**shito** : you have been eating regularly, right?  
**red mnm** : yes mom  
**shito** : okay good  
**shito** : so what did you need?  
**red mnm** : i can just ask pidge  
**shito** : ):  
**shito** : you can ask our neighbor but you cant ask your own brother? ouch, my feelings  
**red mnm** : either way im going to get made fun of (probably)  
**shito** : keith, i would never make fun of you!!!  
**red mnm** : shiro you literally just called me a baby like two minutes ago  
**shito** : okay, okay  
**shito** : if youre seriously worried about me making fun of you, i promise you i wont.  
**red mnm** : okay. 

Keith wanted to get Lances number, or at the least, talk to him again. The one thing standing in his way was asking about it. His immediate instinct was to ask someone who knew how to talk to people, so his first option was Shiro. Being his usual self, Keith didn’t think about how to ask. It shouldn’t be such a hassle to ask about it, but asking someone else how to ask for someone’s number did seem a bit strange, right?  
“ _how do i-_ “ No, no. “ _theoretically-_ “ God, no. “ _if i was to ask-_ “ Jesus Christ. Keith clutched his phone with immense force about ready to chuck it at the wall. Doing his best to calm his anger, Keith typed out a continuation of his previous message.  


**red mnm** : okay im just going to go out and ask because theres no un-dumb way to put it  
**shito** : shoot, buddy  
**red mnm** : how do u ask for someones number

Despite the calmness of his typing quirk, Keith felt so… Embarassed? Anxious? He knew he could trust Shiro, but there was a small part of him that thought he was going to make fun of him, to show Matt and Allura about how socially inept he was. A sudden ping! broke Keith from his toxic thoughts and immediately looked down to his screen.

**shito** : i know it probably isn’t what you want to hear, but you just need to go ahead and ask  
**shito** : theres no easy way around it, which sucks, i know, but you can get past it!  
**shito** : you just have to face it, if you really want me to, i can go with you when you ask

Those three messages put Keiths overactive imagination at ease. He knew he could trust Shiro in the long run, even if he could be an annoying older sibling. This time, Keith didn’t need to push himself to reply.

**red mnm** : thanks, but i can probably ask by myself  
**shito** : good!  
**shito** : if youre free tomorrow, we can go to the arcade and we can bring Matt and Pidge too  
**red mnm** : sure  
**shito** : great! i have class soon so ill text you the details later  
**red mnm** : have fun  
**shito** : thanks, baby brother  
**red mnm** : >:O

With newly instilled confidence, Keith left his dorm to go for a walk and hoped he’d run into Lance. Yeah, he could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (^:!!!  
> ill be trying to update every monday and friday, but dont hold me to that ; w;


	6. Invitation

“So what did you dream about anyways?” Hunk had turned to face Lance, about to take a bite out of his pancakes when he suddenly asked the question. Lance had mostly forgotten about the dream, just clinging to the end of it. He could clearly feel the stabbing pain through his back and could see Keiths pained expression as they were pulled away from each other. Instead of just spouting an, “I don’t remember, sorry buddy.” He thought about his answer. Hunk and Lance had been friends since childhood and they could easily tell when something was wrong with the other. Sort of like twin-telepathy except they weren’t twins, or even related, which was a pretty big shame. Having Hunk as a brother would be sweet!   
“Well… Like I said, I did die. Like, I got stabbed by this alien soldier! The worst part was though…” Lance let his face fall. “They all looked like purple furries.” Hunk and Pidge gasped.   
“You know, Lance,” Pidge started, eyes still glued onto her laptop. “Dreams have meanings. Maybe this means you’re a furry.” It was Lances turn to recoil.  
“No way! And even if it did, Keith was there too! That makes him just as much as a furry as I am!” Lance sat back in the booth, loudly slurping the last few sips of his coffee. Hunk was in tears laughing and Pidge grinned ear to ear. 

**red mnm** : hey pidge   
**red mnm** : idk if matt texted u yet but shiro wanted to go to the arcade tomorrow  
**red mnm** : u in

Pidges kind, child-like, giggly grin was quickly replaced with one with evil intent. Lance knew that grin and feared it greatly.   
“Jesus Christ, what’s that look for?” Best to figure out what’s going on before she did something like change Lances name in the schools files from “Lance McClain” to “Lance McFreakingLoseIt”. Hunk had finished wiping the tears from his eyes, probably thinking about the Name Switch Incident too. 

**mothmans gf** : can i bring some friends?  
**red mnm** : hmmmmm  
**red mnm** : ……… i guess so  
**red mnm** : wait who are u bringing  
**mothmans gf** : (^:  
**mothmans gf** : too late u already said yes  
**red mnm** : shet

“Do you guys want to go to the arcade tomorrow?” Pidges evil smirk remained. The last time the three went to the arcade together, she was able to destroy the two at every game they played, minus the basketball game. The only reason they won though was because Lance had climbed onto Hunks shoulders and dropped the balls into the basket.   
“That depends, Pidgey Poo,” Lance began and earned a small “Jesus Fucking Christ” from Pidge. “Are you gonna destroy us at everything again?”   
“Lance, don’t tempt her. I don’t want to take an air hockey puck to the eye because of you.” Hunk was usually the mediator between Pidge and Lances ‘challenges’ which occasionally caused him a minor injury.  
“Maybe if you stopped sucking so bad, you’d actually win a game, dumpy.” And the flood gates have opened.  
“Alright you gremlin! You’re on. Just give me a time and I’ll destroy you!”   
“Okay shitmeme, calm down. I’ll text you guys a time later. I should get going though, I have class in a while and I need to get ready,” Pidge closed her laptop, stuffed it into her overflowing bag and got up. “Later nerd and real-favorite-boy.”   
The remaining boys exchanged their good-byes with their small friend and finished up their plates.  
“So you really think you can beat Pidge without cheating?” Hunk definitely knew the answer to that.   
“Nope. That’s not gonna stop me from trying though!” Lance flashed his best friend a grin and gave him a thumbs up. Hunk gave a small laugh as Lance shoved the rest of his french toast into his mouth and paid the bill. The two exited, talking about how to win against Pidge, how much homework they have to do by tomorrow and reminiscing on strange customers at the hardware store. 

**red mnm** : so  
**red mnm** : ur really not gonna tell me who u invited  
**mothmans gf** : new phone who dis  
**red mnm** : jesus CHRIST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is gonna take place at the arcade and HOPEFULLY it'll be a long chapter (^': hope you guys had a good day and thanks for reading ;w;


	7. Arcade Pt. 1

The arcade was a two story building that flickered with neon lights inside and out, and it was usually packed with people. The first thing Keith noticed when he entered was the smell of fresh pizza and fries which reminded him that he forgot about breakfast.  
“Keith!” Matt waved at him from across the arcade, signaling him to a table in a far corner. “Shiro went to get us some food, he’ll be back in a bit. Where’s Pidge?” Keith had forgotten that she was going to bring some friends along and he felt a twinge of nervousness at the thought of who she would bring.   
“She’ll be here in a bit, she told me she was gonna bring some friends,” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shiro carrying a tray of food, walking towards him and Matt. “Did she tell you who she’s bringing?”   
“Nope, but it’ll probably be those Hunk and Lance guys,” Shiro set down the food and sat next to Matt, who stole the box of fries before someone could say ‘Peas’. “Can you teksht her? My phonesh dead.”  
“Matt, please don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s nasty.” Shiro swiped a fry from Matts hand while Keith pulled out his phone, giving Matt a small nod. 

**red mnm** : hey where are u guys   
**mothmans gf** : almost there   
**mothmans gf** : lance wanted a mcflurry even tho we told him theres food at the arcade  
**red mnm** : ok but like when are you guys getting here  
**red mnm** : matt n shiro are already here and being coupley  
**red mnm** : please get here im major third wheeling here  
**red mnm** : and they have all the damn fries  
**mothmans gf** : give us like 5 seconds  
**mothmans gf** : lance knew a short cut

A few moments after Pidges last message, Lance, Hunk and Pidge entered into the arcade and made their way to the table. Pidge wore her usual outfit, an alien hoodie with leggings, Hunk wore a yellow t-shirt with some cargo shorts and Lance wore a sweater that was two sizes too big that hung off his shoulders and a pair of black skinny jeans. For some reason, Keith felt underdressed. It was a usual arcade visit with some friends, its not like he had to wear a suit or anything, but Lance looked _really_ good. Keith had been wearing his black hoodie as well as some leggings, he probably didn’t look half as good as Lance did. Had he even bothered to wash his hair last night? Did he put cologne on this morning? Before he could ask himself anymore mental questions, the table quickly filled with Pidge on his right and Lance and Hunk on his left, and with his luck, Lance just happened to sit right next to him.   
“Hey, I don’t think we’ve properly met. The name’s Hunk!” Lances companion had extended his hand over the table and greeted Keith with a warm smile. Why were all of Pidges friends so attractive?   
“Nice to meet you, I’m Keith.” He shook his hands with Hunk for a brief second, giving him a small smile. Shiro slammed his hands down on the table, startling everyone, but still gaining their attention.  
“Alright guys, time to debrief the mission.”  
“The mission?”   
Keith knew what Shiro was doing and he had been doing it since they were little. Somehow, Shiro knew which games gave the most tickets which he was able to use towards his advantage when it came to winning prizes. He’d pick something he wanted to win, then with his complicated arcade equation, he would play the games that gave him the most tickets and win the prize in record time. It was pretty impressive, but no one ever understood how or why Shiro would put so much effort into something as childish as some arcade games. Nevertheless, it did work and you could get prizes pretty quickly, so no one ever complained.  
“Do you guys have your eye on any of the prizes yet? I can help you guys win it!”   
“Really? Wow that’s-“   
“No no no, Shiro we’re here to have to have fun. You don’t need to do your arcade math today,” Pidge shut down Shiro as soon as possible, her arms crossed. “I’ve had a hard week and today and I want to chill here for as long as possible.”   
Shiro gave her an understanding nod and sent everyone on their way. He and Matt traveled upstairs and Pidge and Hunk went to the prize counter, figuring out what they wanted to win, leaving Lance and Keith back at the table to finish up the rest of the fries. It was awkward and silent between the two. Mindlessly, the pair let their hands wonder in and out of the fry box while their faces focused on their phones until Lances hand ghosted over Keiths in an attempt to get a fry. Keiths hand recoiled at sonic speed, knocking over the fry box, spilling the fries on the floor.  
“Shit! I’m sorry!” Keith quickly fell to the floor, picking up the fries and tossing them into the now empty box when Lance knelt down to help him. The scent of the ocean overcame him within seconds. He was so focused on trying to ignore Lance that he hadn’t even noticed the scent waft its way around him earlier.   
“Hey man, it’s not that bad! I didn’t mean to like- like you know-“ Lance was fumbling his words. For some reason, it was oddly cute? “You know, like touch your hand and stuff. I just wanted some fries,” Lance smiled up at him and Keith felt his heart beat faster. God, this boy is going to kill him.  
The two finished picking up the fries and dropped them into the trash.  
“Rest in pieces, my dudes,” Lance wiped away a fake tear and placed a hand on Keiths shoulder, was he always so touchy? “Wanna go play some games now?” Keith nodded, feeling the ocean wrap its way around him, thousands of gallons of salt water were pouring over his shoulders as he looked into Lances eyes. They were blue. Not ocean blue, but more of a royal blue and if Keith looked close enough, he could see bits of paler blue sprinkled within.   
How long had they been standing there? Seconds? Hours? Decades? Did it even matter now? He craved to give into the ocean, to let it consume him, to drown him, but he didn’t let it. Feelings pass eventually. Keith knew that and kept that fact close to his heart. Whatever he felt towards this guy he barely knew would fade away as soon as they came, which made a small part of him feel upset. He liked being close to Lance and being enraptured in the ocean. He wanted to look into his eyes and count his freckles and tell Lance that-  
_Ping!_  
Lance removed his hand from Keiths shoulder, much to his dismay, and looked to his phone. Keith tried to lean over Lances shoulder to peek, but as soon as he tried, he ran over to Pidge and Hunk, who were both laughing their asses off. Keith was standing by the trash can, alone, leaving him to go over his thoughts.   
No matter how much he wanted to ignore it, he really did like Lance. For an arcade trip, it was full of way too many emotions for Keiths taste. He made his way to one of the games to try to clear his mind, attempting to tune out Lance, Hunk and Pidge, but failing horribly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise u that lance and keith will play games together,,  
> also im hoping ill be able to update on friday, but i wasnt able to finish the next chapter in time ;; if i have enough free time later this week ill try to work on it!!  
> thank u so much for reading!!!


	8. Arcade Pt. 2

“Stop laughing! It’s not even funny!”  
A few moments earlier, Lance had received a set of texts from his group chat, all being pictures of him and Keith standing close, Lances hand on Keiths shoulder. They were sweet photos and taken out of context, they looked like they were sharing a tender moment together. He knew his friends were just trying to get a rise out of him, but under a few layers of his egotistical-facade he really liked those pictures. If you asked, he would deny it and try to cover up the photos. Had his feelings always been so transparent?  
“Don’t you dare send those to Keith, Pidge! I know you have his number!” In an attempt to steal Pidges phone, he toppled her over into Hunk and the trio fell backwards.  
“Excuse me, but you three can’t wrestle in here, you’re causing a huge disturbance.”  
The trio looked up at the tired looking employee. The other patrons had stopped what they were doing and stared at the pile of college students who broke the sacred arcade rules. Within seconds, Lance made eye contact with Keith, whose eyebrows were turned up with concern for his friends and mouth set in a small frown. Lance thought he was concerned just for him, but was hit with the fact that he was laying on top of his best friends, which eased him a bit. At least he wasn’t the only one being stared at.  
“We’re SO sorry, we had no idea we were being that loud. Do you want us to leave?” Hunk, being the most sensible of the three, was quick to apologize for their actions. Most of the patrons had gone back to playing games or conversing, but Keiths eyes were still on Lances, both refusing to break the contact. Even though he was on the other side of the arcade, Lance could feel the fire on his feet and hands. He wondered what it felt like to burn.  
“That won’t be necessary. Just don’t cause that much of a ruckus again, then you’ll be kicked out.” As the employee walked away, Keith made his way over to them. Lance didn’t care and buried his face in his hands. Not only did he make a fool of himself and his friends, he did it in front of Keith.  
“See Lance, this is what happens when you try to play God,” Lance removed his hands from his face at that comment to see a mildly angry Pidge trying to hold back a laugh, and a very embarrassed Hunk, which Lance felt extremely upset about. Hunk let out a quiet, “I think I’m gonna wait in the car,” and walked away, Pidge trailing behind him. Before the door closed, Pidge waved her phone at Lance sticking her tongue out at him.  
Lance looked up seeing Keith staring down at him, expression unreadable.  
“Are you guys leaving?”  
Were they? Lance could stay and just tell Hunk and Pidge to drive home, but he could go with them, but then Keith would just be alone here… But Hunk and Pidge were waiting in the car! Was he really going to choose some cute boy he met around a week ago against his long time best-friend-practically-brother and his tiny gremlin friend he met years ago?  
“Pidge and Hunk are in the car already, so… Yeah. I guess I am,” Lance couldn’t even look at Keith. He wanted to stay, but it wouldn’t have been fair to his friends. “But wait, hold on. Give me your phone.”  
“Uhh-”  
“Don’t get your mullet in a tangle, I was gonna give you my number. If-if you want it, that is,” Oh great, here comes Lance, “Smooth McGroove”, McClain, trying to seduce the teens with his great flirting skills, look out Keith Kogane or Lance is gonna knock your leggings clean off-  
Oh.  
Was he blushing? Did it work? With Keith looking away and his face under that mildly-greasy hair, Lance couldn’t tell if he was or not, but he could definitely tell he was embarrassed. He hoped it was for a good reason and not because he put him in a one-sided situation. That would have been his nightmare. A sharp movement in front of him shook Lance from his Keith-filled thoughts.  
“Here.”  
Lance swapped his phone with Keith and both filled out their contact info hurriedly, avoiding any other contact. The boys switched back their phones and just stood. Keith looked up and Lance followed his eyes. Was Keith really making him feel this way? Feel so many things? He felt like a kid on the first day of school, he felt like the world was stopping, he felt like the planets and stars revolved around him and most of all, he felt like he was on fire.  
No, scratch that. Lance was the fire. He could feel his limbs spark and crackle in every direction when he was around Keith. Maybe it was just him, maybe it was how he looked, but every time Keith looked at Lance and his eyes glowed. Maybe Lance was living a lie this whole time, maybe Lance wasn’t a person but just a fire pit, warm and enticing, something that makes the night light up a thousand different shades of red, orange and yellow. Did Keith feel like this? Did he feel like a fire pit when he looked at Lance? Maybe when he looked at Lance, he felt like a star, exploding and never ending, even though its life cycle is short. Or maybe he felt nothing when he saw Lance, maybe he would just see Lances smoldering ashes in the pit; the night over, the flame gone, everything back to being dark. Everything back to being nothing.  
“Hey, so… Can I catch a ride home with you guys? If not that’s okay, but I don’t really want to stick around here anymore.”  
“Yeah of course, dude! Don’t worry either, I’m a great driver!” Lance flashed Keith a huge smile and stuck his thumb to his chest.  
As the duo walked out of the arcade, Keith shot Lance a grin and said, “You’re a great driver? Really? With you at the wheel, I’d be terrified.” In which Lance quickly retaliated back with: “At least **_I_** don’t miss U-Turns after saving someone from a horrible date!” Which earned him a giggle from Keith and caused an all-out joking insult war between the two which lasted the entire car ride home, much to Hunk and Pidges dismay. 

 

**star boy!** : ayyy its ya boi  
**red mnm** : lmao hey  
**star boy!** : lmaoooo  
**star boy!** : so,,,,,,,,,, thanks for (indirectly) bringin hunk and i out to the arcade tonite  
**star boy!:** i had fun  
**red mnm** : u had fun?  
**star boy!** : ya??  
**red mnm** : all we (mostly u) did was  
**red mnm** : eat fries  
**red mnm** : drop the fries  
**red mnm** : throw away + have a mini funeral for said fries  
**red mnm** : get a text from pidge and/or hunk causing u to run away and fite them  
**red mnm** : leave  
**star boy!** : and i had an absolute BLAST doing it  
**red mnm** : when the employee dude left u looked like u were crying  
**star boy!** : Lies and Slander  
**red mnm** : i was worried  
**star boy!** : AWWWH  
**red mnm** : what  
**star boy!** : U WERE WORRIED ABT ME???  
**star boy!** : KEITH,,,,, BUDDY THATS SO SWEET………  
**red mnm** : wh  
**red mnm** : no its not sweet  
**red mnm** : i am not sweet.  
**red mnm** : im going to bed.  
**star boy!** : KEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITH,,,,,,,,,  
**star boy!** : thats precious  
**star boy!** : good nite!!!! hope u sleep well!!!!!  
**red mnm** : dont call me precious ever again  
**red mnm** : good night lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAA im sorry this is so late and short!! ive been super busy and it turns out i have pneumonia so???  
> sorry if u were expecting the boys to play vidya games..... who knows,,, maybe theyll go back to the arcade >:3c  
> anyways thanks for reading and for all the comments ive gotten, theyve been super sweet!! thank u!!!


	9. Name

He did it. He actually did it. He wasn’t the one who asked, but still. He got it. He got Lances number. Keith sat, curled into a pile of blankets just staring at Lances texts. Smiling, he reread “sweet” and “precious” over and over again until a _ping!_ came from his phone, notifying him he got a text from Shiro.

**shito** : im assuming you and your friends went home because we cant find you guys anywhere  
**red mnm** : oh yeah sorry  
**red mnm** : forgot to tell u guys that we were leaving  
**shito** : this is why we left you at rite aid three years ago  
**red mnm** : u guys literally drove home w/o realizing i wasnt in the car?????  
**shito** : regardless,  
**shito** : did you have fun? it looked like you and that tall kid got along well!  
**red mnm** : lance?  
**red mnm** : yea hes ok  
**shito** : im glad youre making friends (:  
**shito** : sorry for not talking much, but its late and you teens need your sleep  
**red mnm** : yeah yeah okay  
**red mnm** : ur just saying that so u can get the early bird special at dennys tomorrow  
**shito** : are you calling me old?  
**red mnm** : nite grandpa  
**shito** : night toddler

Keith shut his phone off and placed it off to the side of his bed, giving a small yawn. He tucked himself into his blanket nest and just as he was about to close his eyes, his screen lit up again. 

**star boy!** : u kno what i was thinking?

As soon as he saw the text from Lance, his arm shot from the covers and snatched the phone at lightning speed.

**red mnm** : what were u thinking about  
**star boy!** : u need a new name  
**red mnm** : i what  
**star boy!** : red mnm just feels so….  
**star boy!** : bland  
**red mnm** : are u calling me boring  
**star boy!** : no no!!!!  
**star boy!** : the name just lacks spice is all  
**red mnm** : thanks for ur brutal honesty that i didnt ask for  
**star boy!** : see!!! we can make a new name for u  
**red mnm** : we?  
**star boy!** : yes!!!! u n me,,, makin names n gainin fame  
**red mnm** : well what do u suggest then  
**star boy!** : tbh didnt think id get this far  
**red mnm** : maybe ur sleep deprived  
**red mnm** : i thought u were going to bed??  
**star boy!** : Hmm…. Funny…  
**star boy!** : i thought u said good nite first keithy  
**red mnm** : well now im going to bed  
**star boy!** : okay fiiiine  
**star boy!** : ill sleep too  
**star boy!** : nite keithy!!!!!  
**red mnm** : jfc thats a horrible nick name  
**star boy!** : didnt ask  
**red mnm** : good night lance  
**red mnm** : please dont text me at three in the morning

Keith turned his phone off and placed it face down to resist temptation. This was too much for him, just talking to Lance made him get that feeling like he was being crushed and it was a major problem. Becoming attached to a person was absolute torture to Keith because he was always worried they’d leave him. In an attempt to try and keep himself from being hurt, he usually kept away from potential friends. Of course, being lonely isn’t fun, but that’s why he had Shiro and Pidge, so he wouldn’t be completely lonesome.  
“Maybe this time, I can make the effort,” Keith sighed out to himself. This time, he was willing to risk being hurt. “It’ll be worth it.”  
With that, Keiths eyes shut as he fell into a deep, deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for short and inconsistent updates!! ; ;  
> ive been super busy but im gonna try to write some more over the weekend


	10. Brainstorming

Lying in bed, Lance rested his hands on his chest and stared up at the ceiling of his dorm, thinking about his conversations with Keith that happened a few hours earlier. When Pidge told Lance about Keith, he seemed pretentious and dull (being the top of his class and all,) but now? Lance thought Keith was stunning, that he was the brightest star in the sky. He reminded Lance of campfires, of a blanket that just came out of the dryer and overall warmth. Every interaction left him with some sort of unidentifiable feeling in his chest and now that they were apart, he craved it.   
Lance let out an annoyed groan and turned to his side and considered something that he never thought he’d consider.   
Maybe he could ask Keith out on a date. Maybe they could go to the arcade and play games together and maybe win him a prize. Maybe they could go get breakfast and just talk about how their lives have been going as they held hands over the table. Maybe they could go to the park – where they first met each other – and feed the ducks or look at the clouds. There were so many options, too many options, for Lance to pick from. Even though he hadn’t asked Keith out on a date, those thoughts lingered in his mind with a mix of others.  
Has he been taking this too fast? They only met a week or two ago, but when Lance falls, he falls hard and fast. What if Keith didn’t feel the same way? Maybe asking him out to hang out would be a good idea. They could get to know each other and Lance could sort his feelings out.   
“Okay, okay,” Lance thought to himself. “Just gotta ask him if he want to hang. Gonna hang at… the…” Recalling the list, he weighed his options.  
They had already been to the arcade, but they really didn’t get a chance to play games or properly eat their fries. Thinking back to earlier that day, Lance remembered ‘fighting’ over his phone and the embarrassment that it caused to his group. The arcade was out of the list.  
He thought of going to the café next, since he goes there regularly, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. Unless Keith didn’t like coffee, which could cause a minor problem. Still, there was lots of potential for the café ranking it at the top of the list.  
Next there was the park, the place where their first interaction played out. It was also the place where Lance got handcuffed to a tree and got his bike stolen. Cringing at the thought, Lance decided that the park could wait for another time.   
He thought for a moment and another popped into his head.  
Lance could just invite Keith over. It was a perfect plan! All he had to do was get Hunk out of the dorm, pick out some movies and snacks, and then pop the question! He watched movies with his friends all the time, it was a great idea for a hang out/date and Lance could not be prouder of himself.  
As soon as he got the idea, Lance snatched his phone to text Keith but stopped when he turned his phone on. The clock read 2:09 AM and the weight of 1,000 bricks hit Lance. He had work tomorrow from 7 to 1 and finish up homework for three of his classes. Shocked and disappointed, he turned his phone off and rolled back over. Still, the excitement of the movie night loomed above all else, giving him motivation for the day ahead of him.   
Smiling, Lance closed his eyes and fell into a pleasantly dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is SUPER late omgihgfmuhf im so sorry  
> i finished this chapter a while back and i forgot to post it but im writing the next rn!!!  
> sorry this is so short ; ;


	11. Preparation

It wasn’t unnatural for Keith to be up early, usually he got up to finalize some homework or go for a jog, but this time he laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling.  
Chasing after boys isn’t Keiths thing whatsoever, but self-isolation? Now THAT was something Keith was used to! The easiest way to describe his personality would be someone who lived in the desert in an old, dusty, shack by himself for a year, maybe longer. Well, that’s how he imagined how people saw him. Heck, that’s how he sees himself usually. But since Pidge “introduced” him to Lance, he felt like his whole world was shifting. It was impossible for Keith to understand how he felt since he’s never really felt this way before.  
Keith slowly sat up and rubbed his hands over his face and grabbed his phone, ready to prepare himself for the rest of his day. 

 

**mothmans gf** : hey are u awake  
**red mnm** : yah  
**red mnm** : why  
**mothmans gf** : i want u to read thru my essay to see if its okay  
**red mnm** : have u been up all night  
**red mnm** : pidge its like five am  
**mothmans gf** : i mean yeah it is but are u still gonna read it  
**red mnm** : sure  
**red mnm** : ill get breakfast and be right over  
**mothmans gf** : please shower first if u didnt last night  
**red mnm** : are u saying im smelly  
**mothmans gf** : a lil  
**red mnm** : ok thats fair  
**red mnm** : give me like an hour  
**red mnm** : tops  
**mothmans gf** : okay but please dont take an hour  
**red mnm** : well see

****It only took thirty five minutes for Keith to make his way to Pidge’s dorm. Her dorm was like any other students, but it was always covered in stacks of papers and other projects which caused a bit of a mess. Pidge herself was seated in the middle of a circle of papers with her laptop, looking up at Keith with a tired, but determined look in her eyes.  
“Oh thank God, it took you long enough,” She said while moving some papers out of the way for a place for Keith to sit. “These two are my first drafts if you wanted to read those, here’s the copy I’m planning on passing in.” Pidge passed Keith a small stack of papers and without a word, Keith took them and began reading.  
Sessions like these weren’t uncommon between the two. After an essay or project, one would call the other over to check on their work to see if anything was missed or could be added. The system worked out well and it served as good bonding time too. The pair weren’t the most extraverted out of the bunch, so quiet times like these meant a lot.  
“Looks good, but you missed some punctuation here… Here… and, uh,” Keith skipped through Pidge’s essay looking for the last place he marked. “And there. Also, you should probably expand on the part about rocket fuel, it seems a bit vague.”  
“Alright, thanks Keith. You’re free to go.” Pidge spoke with a bored tone, returning to her screen. Keith nodded and tossed her a granola bar he brought with him as he got up. “Ugh, you’re gonna kill me with this healthy crap. I appreciate the sentiment though.” She unpackaged the bar as Keith left the dorm.  
As he packed his bag, Keith’s phone buzzed. Shockingly, the text was from Lance. 

******star boy!** : heeeeey keithy!!  
**star boy!** : wanna come over sometime this week??  
**star boy!** : i found a bunch of crappy movies and i need someone to watch them with 

Oh my god. 

**red mnm** : cant u ask hunk 

Why? Why would he do that? He wanted to hang out with him! Oh man he’s gonna- 

**star boy!** : hunk only likes “good movies” and i hate watching movies alone  
**star boy!** : so are u free??? 

A second chance! 

**red mnm** : depends  
**red mnm** : what day  
**star boy!** : im free anytime this week + weekend minus today  
**red mnm** : i have work everyday but the weekends  
**red mnm** : but ill call in sick on wednesday is that alright  
**star boy!** : yeah!!!!!  
**star boy!** : so ill see u wednesday then?  
**red mnm** : yeah, do i need to bring anything  
**star boy!** : mmmmm  
**star boy!** : if theres any snacks or movies u wanna bring go ahead  
**star boy!** : othr than that u dont have to bring anything  
**red mnm** : alright, what time should i come over  
**star boy!** : its a pretty big stack, so maybe come over at 11 am?????  
**red mnm** : sure, see u wednesday then  
**star boy!** : later keithy!!! 

Keith took a few minutes to collect himself. Did Lance just ask him out? Or is it a casual thing? As much as he wanted to go for a jog, Keith had to get ready for his hang out/date with Lance! He scavenged his dorm for some DVDs he had brought with him from home. Fitting with the theme, the movies he found were horrendous. He held up the cover of Fire Maidens of Outer Space and reminisced on the times he watched it. God, it was awful, but something about it had a charm to it like all bad movies did. He stacked the movie with the other contenders, The Creeping Terror, and The Swarm, on the corner of his bed and wrote a list of snacks he could bring.  
Checking the time, Keith realized he still could do a quick jog on his usual route and be back in time for class. He grabbed his ear buds and walked out of his dorm with a wide grin across his face.  
He was so excited for Wednesday. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GHGHGH im back boiz!!  
> sorry for not updating im always busy w school and finals and all that jazz  
> anyways thanks for all the comments!! ive read them all and i want to respond but a) im really awkward and dont know how to talk to ppl and b) i genuinely have no idea how respond. im sorry and also im a fool
> 
> question of the day: is the layout for the story easy to read? i just want to make sure its clear and concise, if not, i can go back and change it
> 
> anyways thanks again for reading!!!

**Author's Note:**

> yo if anyone has any critiques im super open for them, i just wanna be a better writer  
> thanks!


End file.
